Lough Foyle Killer Whale Still Alive

Many of you wouldn’t have been born in 1977 – but, then again, some of you would.

I wonder if you remember the Killer Whale, who was nicknamed Dopey Dick, who swam up the Foyle as far as Derry, in 1977.

It was after the salmon.

After much excitement, it was never seen, or heard of, again.

Until now!

Dopey Dick

It seems that it has been spotted in a large pod, swimming off the Isle of Skye in Scotland.

Pictures of the incident have been compared to photos of a killer whale called ‘comet’ and the outcome is that it has been declared that it is one and the same whale who swam up the Foyle all those years ago.

Dopey Dick – the Lough Foyle Killer Whale

Dolphin Trust Science Officer, Dr Conor Ryan, recognised ‘Dopey Dick’ after pictures of ‘Comet’ had been uploaded to Facebook – and realised that Comet and Dopey Dick were one and the same because of the distinctive markings.

Killer Whales normally live to about 30 but can live to an upper range of 50 to 60.

Dopey Dick would be in his Fifties now it is estimated.

I wonder if any Movillians remember Dopey Dick when he was here in 1977.